Alex Douglas | |
|---|---|
| Leader of the Palmer United Party inQueensland | |
| In office 6 June 2013 – 11 August 2014 | |
| Deputy | Carl Judge |
| Preceded by | Glenn Lazarus |
| Succeeded by | Carl Judge |
| Member of theQueensland Legislative Assembly forGaven | |
| In office 1 April 2006 – 9 September 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Poole |
| Succeeded by | Phil Gray |
| In office 21 March 2009 – 31 January 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Phil Gray |
| Succeeded by | Sid Cramp |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alexander Rodney Douglas (1958-11-24)24 November 1958 (age 66) |
| Political party | Independent (2012–2013; 2014–present) |
| Other political affiliations | National (before 2008) Liberal National (2008–2012) Palmer United (2013–2014) |
| Relations | SeeDouglas family Bob Katter (uncle) Robbie Katter (cousin) |
| Education | St Joseph's College |
| Alma mater | University of Queensland |
| Occupation | General practitioner (Self–employed) |
| Profession | Doctor Politician |
Alexander Rodney Douglas (born 24 November 1958) is a former Australian politician. He was aNational Party member of theQueensland Legislative Assembly from April to September 2006, representing the electorate ofGaven. He was elected for the same seat as aLiberal National Party member in 2009, and re-elected in 2012.
In late 2012, he left the Liberal National Party to sit as an independent, and subsequently joined the United Australia Party, rebranded as thePalmer United Party (PUP), in June 2013, serving as its state leader. He resigned from the Palmer United Party in August 2014 and again sat as an independent for the final months of his term, but was defeated at the2015 state election.
Born inBrisbane, Douglas comes from a political family: his great-grandfather wasJohn Douglas,Premier of Queensland[1] from 1877 to 1879, and his grandfather wasHenry Douglas, member forCook from 1907 to 1915. Douglas is related[how?] to the current (12th)Marquess of Queensberry.[2] His uncle is federal MPBob Katter.[citation needed]
Educated atSt Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace, and theUniversity of Queensland, Douglas was ageneral practitioner and medical officer before entering parliament, and was deputy chair of the Queensland Division of General Practice. He was also on the Central Council of theNational Party.[3]
In April 2006, Douglas was elected to theLegislative Assembly of Queensland in aby-election for the previouslyLabor-held seat ofGaven, representing the National Party. He was appointed Deputy Opposition Whip in August, but at the2006 state election in September he was defeated by Labor candidatePhil Gray, the same candidate he had defeated earlier that year. Douglas contested the2007 federal election as the National Party candidate forFadden, but was defeated by the Liberal candidateStuart Robert.[3]
The2009 state election saw Douglas pitted against Gray for the third consecutive time. On this occasion, Douglas, running under the banner of the newly formedLiberal National Party, narrowly emerged as the victor, reclaiming his old seat of Gaven.[4]
On 16 June 2011, Douglas was appointed as the first non-government chair of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee.
On 29 November 2012, following a dispute with LNP PremierCampbell Newman over his removal from membership of parliamentary committees, Douglas resigned from the LNP to sit as an independent.[5]
On 30 April 2013, he joined the newly created United Australia Party,[6] and became the Queensland leader of the party (quickly renamed thePalmer United Party) in June 2013.[7]
Douglas resigned as leader in August 2014 to protest against his lack of involvement in the preselection of candidates for the2015 Queensland state election. At the same time, he announced he was quitting the party as well, and would once again sit as an independent. Party founder and federal leaderClive Palmer, himself a Queenslander, countered that Douglas had been in talks to merge withKatter's Australian Party, led by his uncle.[8]
| Parliament of Queensland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forGaven 2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Phil Gray | Member for Gaven 2009–2015 | Succeeded by |